biggest cruise ship from southampton

Arvia has arrived: Biggest cruise ship built for Britain arrives home to Southampton

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• Tuesday 20 December 2022 at 8:33am

ITV Meridian's Richard Slee reports from Southampton

The biggest cruise ship ever built for the British market arrived in her home port of Southampton for the first time this lunchtime. 

Arvia is able to carry 5,500 passengers with 1,500 crew. The ship is the latest on the P&O Cruises fleet. 

Hundreds braved the poor weather this morning to watch her arrive as she sailed down the Solent. 

The company say it’s a much needs boost to the south’s economy. 

At 185,000 tonnes, 345m in length with 16 guest decks and breaking new ground for guest experiences, Arvia is P&O Cruises' second ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas, the marine industry’s most advanced fuel technology to date.

Arvia, meaning “from the seashore,” is an innovative and future-focused ship and the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodying the newest trends in travel, dining and entertainment to offer varied and contemporary holidays.

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Harmony of the Seas: Everything you need to know about the world's biggest cruise ship

The 362-metre-long ship has 23 swimming pools, the deepest pool at sea, robot bartenders and a living park in the centre of the ship, article bookmarked.

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The largest cruise ship in the world, dubbed a floating city, has docked in Southampton after setting sale from France.

The 362-metre-long Harmony of the Seas cost $1 billion (£700 million) and is larger than the Eiffel Tower.

The gargantuan vessel docked in the south coast city on Tuesday after leaving the western port town of Saint-Nazaire on Sunday ahead of its inaugural voyage onto Rotterdam.

The 16-deck ship, which has a 6,360-passenger-capacity, underwent 32 months of construction in a French shipyard, where US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises took possession of the liner earlier this month.

Weighing 227,000 tonnes, the vessel also boasts:

• 2,500 state rooms
• 20 restaurants   
• 23 swimming pools
• Central Park – a living park in the centre of the ship with more 10,000 plants and 50 trees
• 24 lifts for guests
• The Ultimate Abyss – the tallest slide at sea, plunging visitors 10 stories from deck 16 to deck 6
• The deepest pool at sea
• A double-story Wonderland specialty restaurant
• 11,252 works of art
• Robot bartenders
• Virtual balconies with real-time views of the destination for interior rooms
• 2,100 crew members from 77 different nationalities

Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, said: “ Harmony of the Seas is the product of our zealous spirit of continuous improvement, where we have combined revolutionary ship design with the technological strides that have defined the Royal Caribbean brand.”

Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International: “ Harmony is truly magnificent in every sense of the word, from her architecture and design to the level of care and attention to detail with which our incredible crew are taking to prepare for our first guests.

“The ship is the ‘best of the best’… combined with new and thrilling experiences never before found in one place.”

The Royal Caribbean ship will set sail for its first trip, a four-night cruise from Southampton to Rotterdam, on 22 May.

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Southampton welcomes world's largest cruise ship

By Rebecca Gibson | 19 May 2016

The world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, arrived in the port of Southampton, UK on 17 May.

Comprising more than 500,000 individual parts, Royal Caribbean International’s latest newbuild measures 362m long, weighs 226,963gt and took 32 months to build at STX France’s Saint Nazaire yard in France. The US$1billion vessel is the 25th ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, spans 16 guest decks and can carry 5,497 guests at double occupancy.

“Harmony of the Seas is redefining holidays and intriguing a new generation of travellers with a bold and unexpected line-up of first-at-sea innovations, while enticing them to explore the world from a new perspective,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “From thrilling onboard activities and experiences to visiting awe-inspiring destinations across the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, Harmony places guests at the forefront and encourages them to create their own adventures onboard and at every destination.”

Harmony of the Seas features Royal Caribbean’s exclusive seven neighbourhood concept, which includes the Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

Innovative onboard features include robot bartenders, interior staterooms with virtual balconies, an AquaTheater, a theatre, 20 dining venues, 23 swimming pools, whirlpools, two FlowRider surf simulators, the Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, Splashaway Bay waterpark, the first two-storey Wonderland restaurant, and The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea. In addition to 11,252 pieces of artwork, the ship will also have the Central Park, which features 10,587 plants, 48 vine plants and 52 trees, some over 20ft high. Guests will also benefit from VOOM, the fastest internet at sea.

Harmony of the Seas will sail from Southampton, UK on a series of short getaways to Northern Europe before embarking on her maiden cruise on 29 May, arriving in Barcelona, Spain on 5 June. Her inaugural summer season will include 34 seven-night western Mediterranean sailings, starting on 7 June.

In November 2016, Harmony will arrive at her homeport of Port Everglades, Florida to offer seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings. Here she will join sister ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, homeported in Port Canaveral and Port Everglades respectively, on the east coast of Florida.

Tags: Royal Caribbean International     Port of Southampton     Harmony of the Seas

Rebecca Gibson

Related articles, royal caribbean to open new royal beach club in cozumel, mexico.

• Royal Caribbean orders seventh Oasis-class ship
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UK’s biggest cruise ship arrives in Southampton

Monday, May 17th, 2021

Written by: Marine Industry News

P&O’s Iona – the largest cruise ship built for the UK market – arrived in Southampton this weekend.

With capacity for 5,200 passengers, Iona has 17 passenger decks and will be used by the operator for its summer season of domestic sailings.

It’s the first British liner fuelled by liquefied natural gas.

Iona was greeted by a water salute as she arrived into Southampton Water under an escort from two fire tugs.

The 185,000-tonne cruise ship repeatedly sounded her whistle as she made the journey up to Ocean Terminal.

She will sail on her maiden cruise to the Scottish island she was named after on August 7.

Cruises operating in England will only be allowed to carry up to 1,000 passengers – or 50% of their capacity if that is lower – until all limits on social contact are removed.

As previously reported by Marine Industry News , Iona was delayed by the pandemic.

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The world's largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problem

As Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks on Sunday she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger

This article is the subject of a legal complaint made on behalf of Royal Caribbean International

When the gargantuan Harmony of the Seas slips out of Southampton docks on Sunday afternoon on its first commercial voyage, the 16-deck-high floating city will switch off its auxiliary engines, fire up its three giant diesels and head to the open sea.

But while the 6,780 passengers and 2,100 crew on the largest cruise ship in the world wave goodbye to England, many people left behind in Southampton say they will be glad to see it go. They complain that air pollution from such nautical behemoths is getting worse every year as cruising becomes the fastest growing sector of the mass tourism industry and as ships get bigger and bigger.

The Harmony, owned by Royal Caribbean, has two four-storey high 16-cylinder Wärtsilä engines which would, at full power, each burn 1,377 US gallons of fuel an hour, or about 66,000 gallons a day of some of the most polluting diesel fuel in the world.

In port, and close to US and some European coasts, the Harmony must burn low sulphur fuel or use abatement technologies. But, says Colin MacQueen, who lives around 400 yards from the docks and is a member of new environment group Southampton Clean Air, the fumes from cruise liners and bulk cargo ships are “definitely” contributing to Southampton’s highly polluted air.

“We can smell, see and taste it. These ships are like blocks of flats. Sometimes there are five or more in the docks at the same time. The wind blows their pollution directly into the city and as far we can tell, there is no monitoring of their pollution. We are pushing for them to use shore power but they have resisted.”

“The liners pollute, but the road traffic that they and the cargo ships generate is also huge,” he adds.

Royal Caribbean, the US owners of the Harmony of the Seas, said that the latest and most efficient pollution control systems were used and that the ship met all legal requirements.

Industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) added that companies had “invested significantly over the last decade to develop new technologies to help reduce air emissions”.

But marine pollution analysts in Germany and Brussels said that such a large ship would probably burn at least 150 tonnes of fuel a day, and emit more sulphur than several million cars, more NO2 gas than all the traffic passing through a medium-sized town and more particulate emissions than thousands of London buses.

According to leading independent German pollution analyst Axel Friedrich, a single large cruise ship will emit over five tonnes of NOX emissions, and 450kg of ultra fine particles a day.

Bill Hemmings, marine expert at Brussels-based Transport and Environment group said: “These ships burn as much fuel as whole towns. They use a lot more power than container ships and even when they burn low sulphur fuel, it’s 100 times worse than road diesel.”

“Air pollution from international shipping accounts for around 50,000 premature deaths per year in Europe alone, at an annual cost to society of more than €58bn [ $65bn],” says the group on its website.

Daniel Rieger, a transport officer at German environment group Nabu, said: “Cruise companies create a picture of being a bright, clean and environmentally friendly tourism sector. But the opposite is true. One cruise ship emits as many air pollutants as five million cars going the same distance because these ships use heavy fuel that on land would have to be disposed of as hazardous waste.”

Nabu has measured pollution in large German ports and found high concentrations of pollutants. “Heavy fuel oil can contain 3,500 times more sulphur than diesel that is used for land traffic vehicles. Ships do not have exhaust abatement technologies like particulate filters that are standard on passenger cars and lorries,” says Rieger.

Southampton, which has Britain’s second largest container port and is Europe’s busiest cruise terminal, is one of nine UK cities cited by the World Health Organisation as breaching air quality guidelines even though it has little manufacturing.

“Up to five large liners a day can be berthed in the docks at the same time, all running engines 24/7, said Chris Hinds, vice chair of the Southampton docks watchdog group WDCF. “Pollution from the port is leading to asthma and chest diseases. We are now seeing more, bigger liners but also very large bulk cargo ships.”

According to CLIA, the cruise ship industry is now one of the fastest growing sectors in the mass tourism market, with 24 million passengers expected to sail in 2016 , compared to 15 million in 2006 and just 1.4 million in 1980.

“The industry shows no signs of slowing down. It generated $119.9bn (£83bn) in total output worldwide in 2015, supporting 939,232 full-time equivalent jobs,” said a spokesman.

“The luxury sector is seeing the most amazing growth that it has ever seen in its history,” said Larry Pimentel, president of Azamara club cruises.

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What Is The Biggest Cruise Ship In The World?

The biggest cruise ship in the world is currently Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas . This impressive ship is a marvel of engineering and design, boasting a staggering 18 decks and a capacity of 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew members.

Symphony of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class of ships, which are known for their size and innovative features. This ship measures 1,188 feet long and 216 feet wide, making it almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall.

One of the standout features of Symphony of the Seas is its Central Park. An open-air space located in the middle of the ship that is lined with trees, plants, and cafes. This unique feature gives passengers the feeling of being in a lush garden oasis while at sea.

Other notable features of Symphony of the Seas include its 10-story slide, zip line, mini-golf course, rock climbing wall, ice-skating rink, and the tallest slide at sea, the Ultimate Abyss. There are also multiple swimming pools and hot tubs, as well as a variety of restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues.

In terms of accommodations, Symphony of the Seas offers a wide range of options, from cozy interior cabins to spacious suites with private balconies and personal butlers. There are also family-friendly staterooms with bunk beds and play areas, as well as suites with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms that can accommodate larger groups.

Despite its size, Symphony of the Seas is designed to provide a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all of its passengers. The ship features advanced technology to reduce motion and noise, as well as a variety of activities and entertainment options to keep everyone entertained.

Overall, Symphony of the Seas is a truly impressive ship that offers a one-of-a-kind cruising experience. Book your next voyage on the biggest cruise ship in the world by calling us on 02380 658 386 for more information and prices.

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Norwegian Star: NCL speaks out after huge cruise liner's Portsmouth visit cancelled and changed to Southampton

The operators of an enormous cruise liner have released a statement after her visit to Portsmouth was cancelled and changed to Southampton.

Norwegian Star would have been the largest ship ever to enter Portsmouth International Port , according to port officials, if it entered the harbour. She was due to drop off hundreds of tourists in the city on May 8, but her much-anticipated visit will no longer take place .

Many residents have booked tickets for a luxurious cruise across the Mediterranean due to the convenience of embarking close-by. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) have now spoken out about the decision.

A spokeswoman said: “We are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-after destinations around the world. While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances.

“As such, Norwegian Star’s turnaround port on May 8 and May 18, 2024 was changed from Portsmouth to Southampton, England to enhance the overall guest experience during the embarkation and disembarkation process. While there are no immediate arrangements for other port calls or turnarounds planned in Portsmouth, we remain in contact with the local authorities to identify opportunities for the future. Portsmouth remains a charming and historical city in the south of England, and we look forward to exploring further opportunities for our guests to discover there.”

Portsmouth International Port previously said Norwegian Star, which is 294m long and has 91,740 gross tonnage, would be slightly larger than the current record holder Mein Schiff 3, which is 293m in leigh and weighs 99,536 gross tonnage. The TUI vessel made her appearance in May 2023 .

Port officials have been expanding the small to medium-size cruise offerings to attract more holidaymakers to the city and boost the local economy with Norwegian Star’s cancellation being a bitter blow. Andrew Williamson, head of cruise and ferry at the port, previously said they were “disappointed” by the decision, but added that changes to shipping schedules are common. He added that other exciting calls are planned for this year, with new brands including Ambassador and CFC vessels making visits to the city.

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Southampton (England)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

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Port Southampton cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Southampton, England. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Port Southampton is the UK's largest passenger (ferry and cruise) port and Britain's second-largest cargo/container port (following Felixstowe). Its first dock was opened in 1843. Most of its operations back then were regular Transatlantic crossings between UK and USA. Since 1982, the port is owned and operated by ABP (Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd).

Currently, Southampton is ranked the UK's largest cruise port and UK's second-largest container port (after Felixstowe).

Port Southampton

Port Southampton (locode GBSOU) is currently the UK's largest seaport, handling annually over GBP 40 billion of exports. The worth of its total trade is ~GBP 75 billion. Southampton is also UK's largest port for vehicle exports and home to UK's second-largest containership terminal (after Felixstowe) handling annually ~1 million TEU-containers.

The port (all its facilities) is managed by ABP (London-headquartered corporation) that owns 21x UK seaports and manages ~1/4th of Britain's sea-shipping trade. ABP Southampton is port's Statutory Harbour Authority, VTS Authority (vessel traffic service) and Pilotage Authority. Pilotage (vessel assistance by ABP pilots) is compulsory on arrival-channel navigation, for berthing-unberthing operations and also when the vessels shift anchorage in Southampton Harbour.

As cruise port, Southampton handles 500+ ship calls and 2+ million passengers annually. As ferry port, Southampton serves ~3 million passengers to and from Isle of Wight .

In the period 2012-2017, in port development projects were invested over GBP 280 million, including over GBP 50 million in new vehicle export facilities. On November 2, 2017, was inaugurated the Pacific Terminal (vehicle export terminal) that serves UK car manufacturers. The new facility has parking capacity 3400 spaces and is part of ABP's GBP 50 million investment plan for the port. Southampton is UK's main vehicle handling port, with 9 shipping lines making every month 110 visits to 52 ports in 40 different countries.

In 2017, the port handled some of world's largest boxships - MOL Triumph and MOL Trust (each with TEU capacity 20170 containers). The largest ever to visit the port boxship so far - Milan Maersk (20568 TEUs) - docked here on November 7, 2017. The Triple-E class vessel has LOA length 399 m (1309 ft), width 59 m (194 ft), above waterline height 60 m (197 ft).

Port's sheltered inland location and also Isle of Wight (in the English Channel) protect it from the effects of bad weather. Additional advantages are the close proximity to London City and the excellent rail / road infrastructure linking to the rest of England and bypassing the capital city's congestion.

In March 2021, DP World Southampton (cargo terminal) received "Freeport" status from the UK government. DP World Southampton also started an infrastructure investment project (GBP 40 million) which includes: dredging and widening of the boxship berths (via partnership with ABP), purchasing (GBP 10M) 11 Kalmar Hybrid Straddle Carriers (vehicles which lift TEUs moved by quay cranes), redevelopment of the dockyard for empty TEU storage , quay extension (by 120 m / 394 ft) to allow the world’s biggest gantry cranes to serve all the terminal's berths.

In March 2022, ABP officially opened for business developments an area of 30 acres (12 hectares), including 22 acres (at Redbridge Ward/which has a Freeport status) and 8 acres (in the Marchwood Industrial Park).

Each cruise ship visit to Southampton generates ~GBP 2,7 million in economic impact, of which about half remains within the region. The sector also annually supports ~14000 local jobs.

Southampton cruise port

Port Southampton has 5 cruise terminals in addition to passenger ferry terminals, container terminal and drydock facilities for marine vessel refurbishments and repairs. Major turnaround/departure cruise ports in the UK are England's Bristol , Dover , Harwich , Hull , Liverpool , Tilbury-London , Newcastle and Portsmouth , and Scotland's Leith-Edinburgh and Greenock-Glasgow .

In late-November 2020 ABP announced that for the building of the 11695-m2 (125890-ft2) new cruise terminal at Berth 102 (Western Docks) is contracted Brymor Group (Portsmouth-based construction company). The new (5th) terminal will provide shore-to-ship power supply. The new terminal (via partnership with NCLH-Norwegian and MSC Cruises ) received a GBP 8 million (EUR 8,9 M / USD 10,65 M) grant from the UK's Getting Building Fund. Also in late-November 2020, MSC signed a long-term agreement with Port Southampton for preferential docking rights. The deal started in summer 2021 with the homeporting of MSC Magnifica at the Port's newest/5th terminal (named in May "Horizon Cruise Terminal"). By this agreement, every year MSC has to homeport at least one ship in Southampton. For 2021, MSC scheduled for Magnifica 21x roundtrips from Southampton, including to the Mediterranean, mini-cruises to Northern Europe and 7-days to Norway's Fjords.

• After receiving a GBP 7 million government grant, in 2020 ABP Southampton introduced shoreside power connectivity for liners mooring at the new Horizon Cruise Terminal. Shore-power (aka "cold ironing") enables docked vessels to receive electricity from the city's power grid. From the berth, vessels can plug-in directly to the grid for full onboard operations without using their diesel engines (or gas turbines) which are shut down right after berthing.
• In mid-May 2021 ABP announced that Mayflower Cruise Terminal will be also equipped with shorepower technology.

In 2018, the port had scheduled 8 maiden calls (new ships visiting for the first time) - AIDAperla, Norwegian Bliss, MSC Meraviglia, Sapphire Princess; MS Zuiderdam, Seven Seas Navigator, and MS Koningsdam. In 2018, here was held the naming ceremony for the former P&O Adonia ship - now Azamara Pursuit (August 28), followed by a 2-night Cruise to Nowhere . Cruise port's busiest day in 2018 was August 31 - a 6 ship day with booked for berthing here Arcadia (P&O), Aurora (P&O), Braemar ( Fred Olsen ), Independence of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Mein Schiff 3 (TUI) and Queen Victoria (Cunard).

For season 2018, MSC Cruises scheduled an extended itinerary program with more regular departures from the UK. The company intends to homeport here one of its newer (bigger) ships.

For 2017, the cruise port reported a record-breaking year with over 2 million cruise passengers. It is estimated that every visiting cruise ship brings around GBP 2 million to the city's economy. In 2017 the port received over 500 passenger ship calls. The busiest long weekend (15 cruise ships) was in June.

In June 2016, the 3 NCLH (abbrev "Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings") owned companies - Oceania , RSSC-Regent and NCL Norwegian - were consolidated/headquartered together in a building previously used by Carnival UK. The move came ahead of NCL returning to UK port departure cruises in 2017 (for the first time since 2010) with the ship Norwegian Jade leaving roundtrip from Southampton. NCLH's new UK company address is: "Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, 4th Floor, Mountbatten House, Grosvenor Square, Southampton, SO15 2JU".

On May 21, 2016, RCI-Royal Caribbean International and the port authority ABP signed a GBP 5,5 million deal. It secures City Cruise Terminal (Berth 101) as the Royal Caribbean's official UK cruise departure port for the period 2016-2023. The Southampton cruise port's contribution to the UK economy was ~15000 cruise shipping-related jobs and GBP 1+ billion economic impact. On April 11, 2016, the new RCI ship Ovation of the Seas arrived and docked at Berth 101 (City Cruise Terminal, Western Docks). The ship stayed for a few days in Southampton before the repositioning cruise (53-days "Global Odyssey" itinerary) ending in port Tianjin-Beijing China .

On April 20, 2015, the RCI-Royal Caribbean ship Anthem of the Seas was officially named in Southampton. The christening ceremony was led by the godmother Emma Wilby (British travel agent). On May 3, 2015, Cunard Line's 175th Anniversary Celebrations were held in the cruise port. The special event was attended by all three Cunard liners - Queen Mary 2 , Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria . The three ships left the port together on their scheduled itineraries, en-route to, respectively, NYC New York, Hamburg and Guernsey (Channel Islands) .

In late-March 2014, RCI announced that Explorer of the Seas will be deployed in Europe and homeported in Southampton for summer 2015 (April through September). The list of roundtrips included 3- and 8-night Baltic Sea, 11- to 16-night Mediterranean and 10- to 14-night Madeira, Canary Islands and Azores.

(statistics) In 2013, the cruise port handled around 1,7 million passengers. In 2011 were handled nearly 1,5 million passengers (11% increase over 2010). Each cruise ship call in Port Southampton generates an economic impact of about GBP 2,5 million.

(statistics) Following the COVID crisis, in 2022 Port Southampton handled a record 489 cruise ship calls, including 8 maiden visits (by AIDAcosma, AIDAperla, Azamara Onward, Celebrity Beyond, Enchanted Princess, Norwegian Prima, Silver Moon, Arvia).

For 2023, the cruise port had scheduled a total of 492 ship calls/booked berthings (including 7 maiden/first-time visits) and expected ~2 million passengers.

In 2023, cruise shipping in Southampton contributed the record GBP 1 billion to Hampshire's maritime economy. The season was marked by ~2,6 million cruise tourists handled during 460 ship calls. Each ship call brought ~GBP 2,7 million to the local economy.

Cruise itineraries to and from Southampton England

Follows a list of destinations visited by cruise ships leaving out of Southampton:

• World Cruises - around the world voyages from Southampton include either westbound Transatlantic crossings (with Panama Canal transition or around South America routes) or eastbound (with Suez Canal transition or around Africa routes). Depending on direction, smaller itinerary segments end up in USA ports ( New York , Miami , San Francisco ), Asia ports ( Dubai , Singapore , Hong Kong ), Australia ( Sydney , Brisbane , Melbourne , Adelaide , Fremantle-Perth ) or even New Zealand ( Auckland ).
• Iceland and Greenland are often visited on itineraries around Britain (themed "British Isles") visiting ports in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
• Baltic Sea itineraries visit Norway (Norwegian Fjords), the European Arctic (North Pole), Scandinavia and Russia ( St Petersburg / overnight stays).
• Mini-Cruises from UK (to Belgium, France, Holland) are generally booked as "shopping" or "short-break" vacations. Most of these deals (with regularly scheduled departures) are offered by P&O Ferries‎ . Several times a year, Cunard's QM2 liner offers 2-day cruises to Hamburg Germany .
• Iberia (voyages to ports in Portugal and Spain) visit ports on the Europe's Atlantic Coast, and are often combined with Gibraltar .
• The Canaries itineraries (to Canary Islands) are usually combined with Madeira Island (Port Funchal) .
• Mediterranean Sea - Western Med itineraries (visiting Spain, France, Italy, Malta) are often combined with ports in North Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Tunis).
• Roundtrips to the Mediterranean/Eastern Med itineraries visit ports in Greece (including Greek Islands), Turkey and Italy.
• Roundtrips to the Mediterranean/Holy Land voyages (to Israel and Egypt) are usually combined with ports in Greece and Turkey.
• Black Sea roundtrips from Southampton are among the longest and visit ports in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia.

(RepositionCruises.com) Transatlantic crossings to the USA (NYC) and New England-Canada are operated regularly by Cunard ( QM2 ). Transatlantic voyages to the Caribbean (roundtrips or one-ways) are offered seasonally. Regular deals UK to the Caribbean are offered by P&O with fly-cruise packages that include flights from the UK to Barbados (ship departures from Bridgetown port ).

"Project Orient Limited” (POL) plans to build two ocean liners for a regular passenger shipping service between Europe/UK and Australia (Southampton - Sydney). The scheduled itinerary will be 26 days in one direction (Southampton to Sydney, and the reverse Sydney to Southampton). The included ports of call are Fremantle (at the 20-day mark), also Dubai, Mumbai (India) and Singapore. Each of the STX France-built ships will be 200,000 GT tons and with capacity 1600 pax. The expected cruise pricing starts from around GBP 2900 per person (one-way).

The list of UK cruise lines (with regular departures out of Southampton) includes Cunard , P&O UK , RCI-Royal Caribbean , Celebrity , Princess , AIDA , MSC , NCL-Norwegian , Fred Olsen , Saga UK , Marella UK .

Southampton cruise terminal

Southampton cruise port is very easy to access. The city is located on England's southern coast's central part and has great road and rail links to the other major UK cities. The cruise ship port comprises two docks (Eastern and Western) with all 4x passenger terminals and 4 berths (docking locations).

(QE2) Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal

• Location: Eastern Docks
• Address is "ABP QEII Terminal 38/39 Test Road, Eastern Docks Southampton SO14 3GG".
• GPS coordinates are N 50°53′05.4″, W 01°23′44.9″
• Berth 38, Berth 39
• Dock gate - 4 (GPS N 50°53'47.2", W 1°23'55.1")

The QE2 terminal is for Cunard ships only. Terminal facilities include short-stay parking, bar, cafe, taxi rank.

This is the famous dock from where RMS Titanic left on her maiden voyage in 1912. Many of the Titanic victims (nearly 500) were Southampton citizens.

The home dock of the Cunard's liners (Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2) was open by HM The Queen in 1966.

In 2015-2016, the "Cunard Terminal" was renovated for GBP 5 million. The renovation project was funded by Carnival Corporation and ABP (Associated British Ports) and carried out over 2 stages. Phase 1 (completed 2016-Q1) included building infrastructure improvements (check-in area, baggage handling area, X-ray / security screening area), also installing a 46-person elevator and reorganizing the drop-off passenger area. Phase 2 (completed in 2016-Q4) included the installation of a new ship-to-shore walkway.

In October 2018 started construction works on the new (GBP 15 million) multi-deck parking with capacity 3000 vehicles. This is the 8th multi-deck parking at the seaport. For the project was contracted Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure, with scheduled completion by June 2019.

(NEW) Horizon Cruise Terminal (Western Docks' Berth 102)

In late-November 2020, ABP announced that for the building of the 11695-m2 (125,890-ft2) new cruise terminal at Berth 102 (Western Docks) is contracted Brymor Group (Portsmouth-based construction company). The new (5th) terminal features roof-mounted solar panels (2000+ PVs/photo-voltaic modules) and provides shoreside power supply .

The new terminal (via partnership with NCLH-Norwegian and MSC ) received a GBP 8 million (EUR 8,9M / USD 10,65M) grant from the UK's Getting Building Fund.

Port Southampton's newest cruise terminal costs GBP 55 million (EUR 64M / USD 76M) and was completed in July 2021.

In early-April 2021, ABP started an online contest for the name of the building. Fans had the chance to win a 7-night free cruise for two in a balcony cabin (roundtrip from Southampton) by simply submitting their name suggestions for the terminal before April 28. After receiving 4000+ name suggestions, in May ABP announced the facility's name - "Horizon Cruise Terminal".

In mid-June 2021, ABP Southampton installed an airbridge (GBP 5 million / EUR 5,8M) at Berth 102 (Horizon Terminal). The 235-tonne airbridge (jetway) was custom-built (to automatically adjust with the tide). It is permanently positioned at the quay and provides the docked ships with ship-to-shore passenger access.

As of 2021, ABP operates 21 seaports plus other shipping-related businesses, annually contributes GBP 7,5 billion (EUR 8,8B / ~USD 10,4B) to the UK economy, and supports ~119,000 jobs.

Ocean Cruise Terminal

• Address is "Cunard Road, Eastern Docks, Southampton SO14 3QN".
• GPS coordinates are N 50°53′29.6″, W 01°24′02.5″
• Dock gate - 4 (GPS N 50°53'47.2", W 1°23'55.1")

Ocean Cruise Terminal was inaugurated in 2009. It features a modern design (Art-Deco) building, short-stay parking, bar, cafe, taxi rank.

In October 2018 started the GBP 12 million (2-year) reconstruction project via partnership with P&O Cruises ( Carnival UK ). Following the upgrade, Ocean Terminal now can handle bigger liners, among which P&O UK's newest ship Iona (2021). The upgrade was completed in March 2019 and increased the terminal's capacity by 50%.

Project's Phase 1 (completed in March 2019) included infrastructure upgrades and adding 18 new bollards (150-ton each) replacing the old 50-ton ones. Bollards are quayside vertical posts used for mooring (lines). Terminal's building was redesigned and significantly improved and increased (as passenger capacity).

Project's Phase 2 included installing 2 new gangways (airbridges) and 2000 solar panels (mounted on the building's roof). Both gangways were specially designed for the 5200-passenger Carnival XL class ships (Iona being the first) and arrived from Barcelona on January 4, 2020. Ocean Cruise Terminal also received LNG bunkering capabilities.

The renovated and enlarged terminal was completed in May 2020, and like the terminals Horizon and Mayflower also provides the berthed vessels with shoreside power .

City Cruise Terminal

• Location: Western Docks
• Address is "Solent Road, Western Docks, Southampton SO15 1HJ".
• GPS coordinates are N 50°54′00.6″, W 01°24′51.8″
• Dock gate - 8 (GPS N 50°53′58.1″, W 01°24′40″) or 10 (GPS N 50°54′14.8″, W 01°25′02.8″)

At City Terminal can dock even the world's largest passenger ships. Dock facilities include short-stay parking, bar, cafe, taxi rank. Located nearby is Mayflower Park - a great vantage point to watch the departing ships.

Terminal's capacity was doubled after a 7-year redevelopment project.

Southampton City Cruise Terminal (Berth 101) is Royal Caribbean's official UK homeport (departure port for roundtrip itineraries). The list of terminal's improvements made by the RCCL corporation includes new paperless check-in operations, faster curb-to-gangway processing, new security screening zones, step-free access to larger RCI ships (up to Quantum-Class), free Wi-Fi (throughout the terminal), digital signage (wayfinders), new air-conditioning, improved logistics.

Mayflower Cruise Terminal

• Address is "Herbert Walker Ave, Western Docks, Southampton SO15 1HJ".
• GPS coordinates are N 50°54′18.6″, W 01°25′45.8″
• Dock gate - 10 (GPS N 50°54′14.8″, W 01°25′02.8″) or 20 (GPS N 50°54′48.2″, W 01°27′39.4″)

Mayflower Terminal is generally associated with the P&O UK ships . Its facilities include taxi rank, bar, cafe, an art gallery. The terminal was inaugurated in 1960. Here are homeported RMS Queen Mary 2 and P&O UK's largest and newest liners.

A new cruise ship dock was opened on April 28, 2015 (Berth 104 / Dock Gate 10). Mayflower Terminal's redevelopment project cost around GBP 6 million and resulted in increased passenger capacity and berthing (allowing even the world's biggest cruise vessels to dock here). In the terminal's refurbishment project were engaged 200+ workers on the refurbishment. Works started in December 2014. After their completion, the Mayflower Terminal has 36 check-in desks, larger passenger lounge, more security search lanes, expanded passenger drop-off/pick-up areas (at the terminal's entrance).

Like the new Horizon Terminal, Mayflower also provides shorepower connectivity for the docked liners.

Cruise ship terminals directions and parking

Port Southampton is accessible via the M27, some 80 mi / 130 km from London (~ 1:50 hours drive distance) and some 200 mi / 320 km from Norwich (~ 3:50 hours drive distance).

• (option 1) From North, East and London regions - drive on M3 southbound. Follow the Southampton signs. Merge onto M27, follow the M27 West signs. Leave M27 at Junction 3. At the roundabout take 1st exit (M271) toward Southampton Docks. At next (Redbridge) roundabout take 1st exit onto A3024 leading to a dual carriageway and heading into Southampton (assigned Dock Gate). This route brings you close to Dock Gate 20 and Dock Gate 10 (CITY CRUISE TERMINAL, MAYFLOWER CRUISE TERMINAL).
• (option 2) From North, East and London regions - From the end of M3 (junction 14) follow the A33 signs for Southampton Docks. This route brings close to EASTERN DOCKS (Dock Gate 4) where are located OCEAN CRUISE TERMINAL and QE2 CRUISE TERMINAL.
• From west regions - from the end of A31 Poole-Bournemouth follow road through New Forest. Join M27. Leave M27 at Junction 3. At the roundabout take 3rd exit (M271) toward Southampton Docks. At next (Redbridge) roundabout take 1st exit onto A3024 leading to a dual carriageway and heading into Southampton (assigned Dock Gate). This route brings you close to Dock Gate 20 and Dock Gate 10 (CITY CRUISE TERMINAL, MAYFLOWER CRUISE TERMINAL). For Eastern Docks stay on this road and follow the signs to Dock Gate 4 (OCEAN CRUISE TERMINAL, QE2 CRUISE TERMINAL).

Lost property/baggage enquiries

• P&O, Cunard and Princess cruise passengers should contact - for baggage inquiries (phone number 023 8087 3111) and for lost property (phone number 023 8065 6426).
• Celebrity and Royal Caribbean passengers should contact for lost baggage/property - phone number 023 8068 2680.
• For other Southampton cruise lines please contact the line/company or your booking agent directly.

Europe's largest cruise ship port Southampton has:

• Port address is "Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1, United Kingdom".
• UN-LOCODE (United Nations location code) - GBSOU.
• four dedicated cruise terminals
• capability to accommodate more than 4 vessels at a time
• supported by excellent road, rail and air infrastructure
• deepwater channel
• deepwater berths
• no restrictions on length and GT tonnage of cruise ships
• sheltered harbor area

Access is unrestricted by tides. The port's average tidal range is ~5 ft (1,5 m) with 17 hours per day of rising water. This allows even the largest cargo vessels and cruise ships to access the port for up to 80% of the time.

The cruise port is accessible the whole year round - 24/7, 365 days a tear.

Cruise ships usually arrive in Southampton in early morning (4:30, 5, 6, 6:30, 7:30 or 8 AM) and depart from Southampton in late afternoon (4:30, 5, 6 pm) or in the evening (8, 9:30 or 10 pm).

Port Southampton Vehicle Ferry Terminal 3 Quay has GPS coordinates N 50°53'44.2", W 1°24'22.4"

Port Southampton Passenger Ferry Terminal 2 Quay has GPS coordinates N 50°53'39.6", W 1°24'19.4"

Follows the list of cruise ship management companies (agencies) serving the major lines:

• CARNIVAL UK serves Cunard, P&O and Princess ships.
• DENHOLM WILHELMSEN LTD serves AIDA, Fred Olsen, MSC, Saga and Marella ships.
• INTERCRUISES serves Azamara, Celebrity and RCI-Royal Caribbean ships.
• Old Town: one of the most famous landmarks in Southampton it the old town northern entrance – “Bargate”. Visit the the Archaeological Museum, the Medieval Merchants House, the Tudor House, the Maritime Museum and the God’s House Tower remains.
• Shopping Centers: visit the Above Bar shopping center (the main one), the Ocean Village or the new West Quay mall.
• Theater: visit the popular Mayflower theater.
• Southampton City Art Gallery : Victorian art collection.
• Aviation Museum: explore RJ Mitchell’s WW2 Supermarine Spitfire pioneering work at the Solent Sky Aviation Museum.
• Titanic Trail: start at Musician’s Memorial and end at the Maritime Museum. The museum is located at Town Quay in the Wool House. Explore the tragic faith of the famous ocean liner.
• Jane Austen Walking Trail: the famous author was seven when she came to Southampton. She often spent her vacations in the city and much later she moved to Southampton.
• New Forest National Park (train travel time from Southampton 15 min / southwest) - free ponies, deer, wildlife, great for walking, cycling, horse-riding
• Stonehenge Tour (car travel time from Southampton 50 min / northwest, or 30 min train travel to Salisbury)
• Isle of Wight (ferry travel time from Southampton 30-60 min / south) - beaches, historical buildings, food
• Portsmouth (travel time from Southampton 40 min by car and 45 min by train / southeast) - Charles Dickens' birthplace, naval port, maritime-themed attractions (Historic Dockyard, the restored ships HMS Victory and Mary Rose)
• Winchester (train travel time from Southampton 15 min / north) - cobbled streets, Wolvesey Castle ruins; Great Hall (houses a replica of King Arthur's Round Table), Cathedral

Southampton tours, shore excursions, hotels

City tours and shore excursions.

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Southampton - user reviews and comments

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's 2 largest cruise ships. They were shockingly similar for the $1,000 difference

• Royal Caribbean operates many of the cruise industry's biggest ships.
• Icon of the Seas  launched in January, dethroning its predecessor, Wonder of the Seas, as the world's largest.
• Here's how the two mega-ships compare in size, neighborhoods, amenities, dining, cabins, and costs.

Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's new mega-cruise ship darling, was deemed a success before it was even built.

In January, the highly anticipated vessel — complete with more than 40 bars and restaurants, a six-slide waterpark, and a waterfall — set sail, dethroning its less than two-year-old precursor, the Wonder of the Seas , as the world's largest cruise ship.

Before its debut, Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, had already repeatedly called Icon its "best-selling product" yet. The company experienced its largest booking day ever when reservations opened for Icon of the Seas more than a year before its launch, it said

Despite all of this fanfare, you might be surprised by how similar it is to its predecessor.

I've sailed on both ships. Let's see how Icon and Wonder compare in six categories: size, neighborhoods, amenities, dining, cabins, and costs.

Both ships stunt the size of their competitors.

Wonder of the Seas debuted in 2022 as the then-world's largest cruise liner, measuring 235,600 gross-tons, 1,188 feet-long, and 18 decks-tall. The ship can accommodate up to 9,288 people, including 2,204 crew.

Icon of the Seas is, comparatively, 13,063 gross-tons heavier, eight feet longer, and two decks taller. It can sail up to 9,950 people, including 2,350 crew, although it's 52 feet less wide than its predecessor.

Both vessels feel more like amusement parks than traditional cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean invited me on complimentary, non-revenue sailings on both ships: two nights on Wonder in late 2022 and three nights on Icon in January.

I spent most of my time lost, overwhelmed, and exhausted.

It's no surprise both ships are operating weeklong itineraries this year. Any less, and you might not have time to experience all the activities and restaurants on your list.

Like other Royal Caribbean ships, Wonder and Icon have eight 'neighborhoods' that serve separate purposes.

The new ship shares three of Wonder of the Seas' neighborhoods : Central Park, Royal Promenade, and Suite.

Icon's other five — Thrill Island , Surfside, Hideaway, Chill Island, and AquaDome — are a first for the cruise line.

Many of the ships' amenities overlap, but in differing quantities.

Wonder has three waterslides. Icon has a six-slide waterpark complete with rafting and racing options.

Both have increasingly popular cruise amenities like decks-long dry slides, mini-golf courses, rock climbing walls, and playgrounds.

But instead of Wonder of the Seas' zipline , Icon of the Seas has Crown's Edge, a thrilling agility course with a small zipline that leaves travelers dangling 154 feet above the ocean.

Wonder’s Boardwalk neighborhood was my go-to.

Boardwalk delivered exactly as it had promised: an open-air space grounded by wood-planked floors, a hot dog stand, a sweets store, and kitschy, colorful decor.

Icon of the Seas' Surfside , designed for families with young children, felt like its closest dupe.

Both neighborhoods had a carousel, an outdoor playground, and family-friendly dining. But Surfside was more toddler-friendly, as suggested by the children's water play area and nighttime story readings.

On to entertainment: Both mega-ships have ice skating performances and exciting multi-disciplinary shows at the AquaTheater.

But travelers who enjoy musicals at sea will want to stick to Icon.

Unlike its predecessor, the new ship shows a rendition of Broadway hit "The Wizard of Oz" — Munchkins, a puppet Toto, and a 16-piece live band included.

The layout of Icon's amenities were better than its cousin.

Some of Wonder of the Seas' enticing outdoor amenities — like the surf simulator, zipline, and mini-golf course — are clustered on the deck above and away from the pools and water slides.

This layout might be difficult for parents with children who bounce from one activity to the next. Wouldn't it be easier to have all of these outdoor extras near each other, or at least on the same deck, for parental supervision purposes?

This is where Icon of the Seas excelled: All its exciting open-air activities were adjacent.

The rows of pools flowed perfectly into Thrill Island's waterpark , rock climbing walls, mini-golf course, and Crown's Edge.

The best part? The adult-only Hideaway — which flexes an infinity pool club with a DJ — is right behind Thrill Island, creating a clear separation between parents and their children without being too far from each other.

'Free' options like the buffet and build-your-own tacos and burritos bar are available on both ships.

But you won't find the larger vessel's five-stall food hall or mini-golf-adjacent finger food stand on Wonder.

As expected, Icon of the Seas has more dining options than its predecessor, although there are some overlaps.

Wonder of the Seas has 11 bars and 21 dining venues (9 complimentary and 12 upcharged).

Icon of the Seas has eight more bars, four more complimentary restaurants, and three more specialty dining choices.

Nor will you find the new ship’s plush $200-a-person Empire Supper Club on any other cruise liner.

The multi-course dinner, paired with cocktails and live music, stunts the cost of either vessel's other dinner options.

But if you love Johnny Rockets, you’ll be disappointed by Icon of the Seas.

Restaurants like the popular burger chain and Southern comfort-inspired Mason Jar are only on Wonder of the Seas. Fine by me: My fried chicken at Mason Jar was as dry as a desert.

The younger ship doesn't have Wonder's robot bartender-armed bar either. It does, however, have new watering holes with dueling pianos and live jazz.

Surprisingly, Wonder of the Seas has 65 more cabins than its new cousin.

But several of Icon's 28 stateroom categories are a first for the cruise line.

This includes the new family infinite balcony cabin, which has a small bunk bed nook for children.

Royal Caribbean assigned me an ocean-view balcony stateroom on both ships.

My Wonder of the Seas' cabin was 20 square-feet smaller than the one on Icon. But my bathroom on the latter was so tiny, I accidentally elbowed the walls at almost every turn.

Sailing on the world's largest cruise ship doesn't mean you'll have the world's largest cabin after all.

Wonder and Icon are both operating seven-night roundtrip itineraries from Florida to the Caribbean.

In 2024, Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for year-round sailings from Port Canaveral to the Caribbean and Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay , starting at $700 per person.

Icon of the Seas is spending its first year in service operating nearly identical itineraries but from Miami instead. The cheapest 2024 option is $1,786 per person.

That's a difference of more than $125 per person per day.

"Bookings and pricing for Icon of the Seas can only be described as 'iconic,'" Naftali Holtz, the CFO of Royal Caribbean Group, told analysts in February.

Icon of the Seas’ name speaks for itself.

If your family is looking for a jam-packed kid-friendly cruise with enough amenities to stay entertained for a week, both ships are a great option.

But if you're a seasoned mega-ship-cruiser looking to experience something new, Icon of the Seas is your best bet.

They may be similar, but no other behemoth cruise liner has a waterpark for children and a pool club for adults just dozens of feet from each other.

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